With a nod, he sits across from me. “I think they have been here a very long time. There is an energy to this place.”
As I touch the cool stone, I feel the essence of long ago pulsing within. “It’s interesting to find such circles on this continent.”
“Will you be going over to see Lori tonight?” Max tosses a stick into the flames.
“Not tonight. She has other plans, and the twins are at a friend's.” A knot tightens behind my ribs.
Sam studies me for a long moment. “Forgive me, old friend. If Mari has explained this to me correctly, you go to the Manning house every night to help them sleep and then guard them until morning.”
“Yes.” For nearly a month, I’ve cared for the Mannings as they slept. Not going tonight seems wrong, as if I’m abandoning my duty. However, the text I received this morning said that my services were not needed this evening.
He cocks his proportionately large head. “And then you leave as the house wakes up, without even a kiss.”
I don’t mention that there were kisses on one occasion since there have been none since. “That is correct.”
“But you…um, like Lori, or am I mistaken?” Sam is generally direct and polite. We have known each other long enough that it’s within the parameters of our friendship to discuss a romance even if none exists.
“How could anyone not like her?”
Max narrows his eyes. “She is a good person. I wouldn’t like to see her hurt.”
There’s no warning in his tone. He’s stating facts. I understand. “Neither would I.”
“The twins’ father is a real jerk, from what she’s told me. Drunk most of the time. He only shows up when he needs money or wants to make trouble.” Picking up another stick, Max pokes at the fire.
My gut tightens at the idea of anyone leaving their family. I abandoned mine, unsure of my ability to do no harm, and they died anyway. Even all these centuries later, the possibility that I might have saved them haunts me.
In a blur of movement, Mari and Tilda return from their run and, smiling, sit beside their respective mates.
“What are you men talking about that has you looking so serious?” Tilda slips her hand into Max’s.
Since a full change of subject isn’t possible, I try to direct the conversation away from me. “Lori Manning’s ex-husband and a man leaving his family.”
Mari runs her hand over her large bump. A giant and vampire mix has never been born before. Perhaps the child won’t be a vampire at all. After all, Mari, Tilda, and I were human once. Time will tell. She frowns. “He must be an idiot. Those girls are darling.”
Tilda agrees. “I can’t believe he didn’t come when Olivia was missing.”
Max fixes his gaze on me. “I wonder why you wouldn’t pursue a relationship with Lori if you have feelings for her. Since you spend every night watching over her and her daughters, I believe it’s more than just liking the lady. Since it’s been a month, I gather you have no intention of acting on it in a romantic way?”
“She’s human. She should have a human mate.” I keep my baser and my deeper thoughts to myself.
Mari stands and stretches her back. “You deserve happiness, Ion. If you care for Lori, why deny yourself?”
“Since when has my personal life become so interesting to all of you?” I finish my wine and go to the stone near Tilda and Max, where three bottles stand ready. Once I’ve refilled, I return to my seat.
A soft smile pulls at Mari’s lips. “It’s obvious that you and the lady share an attraction, and your family wants you to be happy.”
The wine slides down my throat, cool as it goes. The taste of grapes and spices dances on my tongue. “I’m happy to have a family here in Harmony Glen. That is enough for me for now. At some point, all of these people I’ve come to care about will begin to die. I’ve lived in many places and seen the deaths of many friends. Attaching myself to someone who will not survive into my old age has not made me happy in the past, and I’ll not find peace in such pursuits.”
Mari frowns. I see a slew of questions burning behind her eyes, but she graciously keeps them to herself.
I’m swept up in having family, as in the old days when the four of us from the village made a little life for ourselves with several others we’d sired. We made a pact to always ask permission of those already near death, and we also agreed that anyone who broke that pact would meet the same fate as Drack. I’m the only original member of our group still living.
Mari and Tilda have talked me into going to a dance that nearly everyone and every monster in town attends. It’s not that I don’t like a festive event as much as the next person. However, often my presence hinders others from enjoying themselves.Having one of the original vampires present can put a pall on a party.
Harmony Glen has been kind to me and my family, so as a show of my respect for the community, I will attend for one hour and then make my way home.
A large white tent is set up near the lake with heaters for the warm-blooded. There’s a central dance floor, a bar, and a band playing an eclectic mix of music from the past five decades.
